We Say The Shit You Won't

‘This Is Us’ 3×16 Review: ‘Don’t Take My Sunshine Away’

This is the episode that I think officially broke every shipper’s heart. It was such a bittersweet episode because most of my favorite couples came out unscathed. But one fan favorite couple is about to go through some major shit.

Let’s dive in!

Baby Jack is a champ and Katoby is OTP

The episode opened with Uncle Randall and Aunt Beth saying bye to baby Jack, Kate and Toby before heading back home. He’s still super tiny but he’s definitely looking stronger. Despite the progress his son has made, Toby is still having a hard time seeing him with all the tubes coming out of him.

During a routine check up where they had to draw blood and take a urine sample, he had to walk out of the room because he couldn’t watch and left Kate alone. Eventually, Toby realized that he’s not carrying his load as a parent and apologized to Kate before coming back to hold his son for the first time.

I’ve been saying this all season but Toby is definitely one of the most improved characters on this show. He doesn’t even bother me anymore. I find myself actively rooting for him every week and this episode was no different. Baby Jack got blessed with a great dad. I just wish Toby would believe that too. Hopefully he will soon.

Jack and Rebecca get nostalgic

In this week’s flashbacks, we get to see the Big Three attend their first school dance with mom and dad as chaperones. It’s during the dance, that Rebecca learns that Jack never actually attended a school dance. Obviously, she’s heartbroken for him and tries to recreate all the magical moments and experiences one would have at a dance. They sneak out to make out in a darkened library and share a slow dance in the middle of the dance floor to a favorite love song.

But mostly, Jack just takes time to take it all in. And he comes up with a scenario where the younger versions of themselves would’ve met at a dance. Jack believes it would have been love at first sight too. And I believe him. I think Jack and Rebecca were always destined to be together. I’m just bitter their happily ever after got cut super short.

I Choose You…

After the truth bomb about his drinking came out, Kevin and Zoe have decided to try couple’s counseling. He’s also going to AA meetings routinely in hopes to find the perfect one. Overall, it really seems like he’s trying to get back on track.

However, during their first therapy session, Kevin dropped another truth bomb on Zoe. He pictures a life with her where kids are involved. The thing is, Zoe never envisioned having kids. She’s super honest with Kevin from the jump and tells him that if having kids is something he truly wants, then he needs to tell her because it’s something she’s never going to want. Does this entire conversation sound familiar to anyone else? Superbowl 1979 perhaps?

That’s right! Jack and Rebecca reached the same crossroads in their marriage.

After one of his AA meetings, Kevin bumped into Sophie and opened up about his relationship with Zoe. Sophie, being a pretty decent ex girlfriend despite the fact that he broke her heart, tells him that Zoe is good for him and to admit to himself what he wants because he’ll get it since he always does. The two part on better terms than they were post break up and Kevin goes home to tell Zoe that he chooses her over a life with kids. Again, this is the exact same thing Jack told Rebecca outside that bar where they were watching the game. I’m not saying that season one foreshadowed this but it kind of feels like season one may have foreshadowed this. I guess we’ll see if Zoe ends up pregnant just like Rebecca did and what happened if she does.

R&B aren’t in tune with each other anymore

At the beginning of the season, we saw Randall and Beth in the future. And it looked like a future where they weren’t together anymore. A lot of us had theories but most of us hoped we were wrong. It doesn’t look like we were. These two are definitely heading toward disaster.

This is probably the episode where I was most upset with Randall. I completely understand his anger toward Beth because she seems to be really caught up in her new job. However, I also think he’s handled this entire situation wrong and I’m starting to see that Jack Pearson meanness we first witnessed back in season two.

He left Beth the nastiest voicemail when he thought she was standing him up for an important work dinner. I knew the moment he left it, the shit was going to hit the fan. And it did. Eventually, Beth showed up late after being stuck behind an accident for three hours on the highway. Her phone had inconveniently died so she couldn’t call him. But she still showed. And he’d still left that message. Which she heard.

Beth faked it throughout the entire dinner like the badass wife that she is but at the end of the night, she told him to go sleep in his office. Randall came home instead and the two were about to duke it out before he suddenly shut the door on us. I hate seeing mom and dad fight, don’t you?

Is this the end of R&B? I’m hopeful it isn’t but even if it is the end for them in the present, that doesn’t mean it’ll be that way forever. They’re about to see each other in the future for the first time in who knows how long. I’m optimistic that the love between them will always be there. We’ll just have to wait and see if I’m horribly wrong. I really hope I’m not.

Highlights

“I choose you. It’s you. Final answer.” I loved this Zevin moment so much that I put it on my insta story last night. That should tell you everything.

Was that Paul Finch from American Pie in the hospital waiting room giving Toby parenting advice? Can someone confirm for me if Eddie Kaye Thomas was actually in this episode because oh my god!!

Young Jack and Rebecca was adorable. Adult Jack and Rebecca melted my heart.

Kate and Toby finally got on the same page about parenting. Thank God because I can’t handle going back to disliking Toby. I wasn’t there yet but if they kept up with this story line, I would have been.

I was worried about Sophie coming back based on the promo last week but we found out she’s happy, in love and getting married. I’m glad she’s finally out of the picture for good. The future looks bright for Zevin.

Sterling and Susan gave a killer performance in this episode but I know it’s a set up for their history episode next week and I’m not prepared to die yet.

I can’t believe there’s only two episodes left in season three and I still have so many questions. Where did this season go????

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9PM on NBC. Check out next week’s episode here: